The Scarborough Arts Council is among several groups in Scarborough that would suffer if its city funding were to be reduced.

“Arts provide an opportunity to celebrate one’s community for positive messaging, for positive experiences,” said Tim Whalley, executive director of Scarborough Arts Council. “That’s important in Scarborough.”

Art, Whalley said, can help rehabilitate the reputation of a neighbourhood with a checkered past.

“We were brought into [Orton Park and Morningside] to liven up the space, to make it a creative and inviting space,” he said. “[Arts] build bridges across communities, they bring people together and they provide people with really important skills.

“The youth who go through our programs gain particular skills that they’re able to use later on.”

At a Sept. 15 press conference at Roy Thomson Hall, leaders in Toronto’s arts community addressed the looming city hall discussion on cuts but underlined the importance of city funding to their industry.

“We understand that the city needs to balance its budget and we want to help,” said Claire Hopkinson, executive director of the Toronto Arts Council.

Richie Mehta, a Genie-nominated writer and director, spoke about the importance of arts grants to his success. Without the grants, he said, he wouldn’t have been able to make his first feature film Amal.